A New Year's meltdown!
In this episode, Rhonda Whittenberg indulges in too much drinking; crashes the Harper New Year's party (which she was not invited to) and starts a hellacious catfight with Anngelique Minzell and Allegra Whittenberg after having a drunken meltdown and screaming at everyone. Scene Background: Dylan's townhouse on Louisburg Square, New Year's Eve. The Harper family is having their New Year's Party. Everyone from the family is there and the celebration is going strong. Dylan doesn't have booze at his parties, he had never done so, for fear of too many accidents. So, he has sparkling cider and other non-alcoholic drinks. However, some outsiders, who have had drinks at other parties, are plastered and think they can come into the party. Case in point: Rhonda Whittenberg, who is crashing the party and she is smelling like a brewery! Dylan is sipping some sparkling cider with Adam. He is thrilled with the party. DYLAN: What a party, eh, Adam? Everyone is having a great time! ADAM: Yes, indeed, honey. Where are the kids? DYLAN: Derek was very tired and he just wanted to go to sleep. Ashley is over there with Maggie and Cathy. They are playing. (Barry, Dylan's brother, comes up to him.) BARRY (grinning): Derek so wanted to watch the ball drop, but, wouldn't you know it, he couldn't last, poor kid. (Barry grins affectionately thinking about his little nephew) Allen and I took him to bed, and he just fell asleep the moment he hit the pillow. He snuggled right down with his doll. I had Sammy stay over so he could sleep too, and keep Derek company. ADAM: Did you ask Anyssa about that? (Anyssa comes over.) ANYSSA: Yes, Adam, I was asked. Bryan said it would be all right, Adam. He's watching the girls tonight which was why I was able to come. And so I approved. ADAM: All right. DYLAN: Don't worry, Adam, the boys will be fine. ADAM: You know me, Dyl. DYLAN (kissing Adam's nose and grinning): Yes I do, sweetie, I know you very well! (Up comes Sheila, very worried.) ANYSSA: What's wrong, sis? DYLAN: You look like you saw something bad, dear. SHEILA: I think I have. Dyl, was Rhonda Whittenberg on the invite list? DYLAN (confused): No, unless some changes were made that I knew nothing about. Aunt Velda made out the invite list weeks ago, and I made it clear to her that she was not invited, it would break the restraining order that was placed against her. SHEILA: That's what I thought. Well, as it turns out, she's in the main room and she's gone to ranting and raving at everyone. And I might tell you, she smells like a brewery. ADAM: Oh, dear GOD! Now, I really AM worried. What about the kids? SHEILA: I told the kids to go and play in Cathy's room, until we get Rhonda out of there. I don't want that slattern around the kids. I refuse to have them see that bitch behaving the way she is. I also told the girls to play quietly since the boys were asleep. BARRY: And even worse, Anngelique and Allegra are there. They WERE invited and Rhonda was not. And you know what happens when those three are together. DYLAN (shuddering): Yeah, a hellacious fight in the making. Those three are like oil and water, they just don't mix! C'mon guys, let's get in there! (The five go in. They are astonished at hearing Rhonda go off!) SHEILA: Damn it! We're too late! She must've had a lot of booze. DYLAN: She has indeed, dear, but look at her, she is staggering, slurring her words and is a real mess! She's hanging herself the more she opens her mouth! BARRY: She's making a total fool of herself. ANYSSA: I swear, she makes that old witch Molly look like a saint. ADAM (amused): Please, Nyssa. Rhonda would make Mme. De Farge look like a girl scout! SHEILA (laughing): Yeah, so true there. (The five watch Rhonda's drunken rant) RHONDA (absolutely drunk, slurring her words): You all think you are so high and mighty! You are the Harpers, the most powerful family in all of New England! Well, you're NOT! You lot only believe your own PR! The Hollisters rule the roost! That's right! MY family rules! You Harpers drool! My family has been one of the most powerful families for many generations! My family is one of the best families in all of America, I will have you know! My daddy was one of the architects of Constitution Plaza in Hartford. MARILYN (snidely): I'll bet he was an assistant architect, and he only bought the blueprint paper! (Monica Wentzel and Taylor Addison, who are standing nearby, laugh at Marilyn's observation.) TAYLOR: And I bet he didn't do a good enough job of that either! MONICA: Nope, I bet he didn't. (Taylor, Monica and Marilyn begin to laugh) RHONDA (angered): How dare you laugh at me! TAYLOR: What you are saying is not making a bit of sense! You're completely plastered! RHONDA (lying): I am NOT plastered! I haven't had a drink all night. MONICA: Please, bitch, you smell like a brewery! You practically REEK of booze! You are incoherent, you are slurring your speech, and you are making a total fool of yourself. You had to have drunk them under the table at every bar in Boston! MARILYN (angrily): And you know my great nephew doesn't serve booze at any of his parties! RHONDA: What do I care?! Your stupid family threw ME out of a Fashion business! (Enter Rose, who is livid) ROSE (angered): Because you LIED where you had no right to lie! RHONDA: Shut the hell up, you bitch! (That is enough to bring Dylan out to defend his sister) DYLAN (infuriated): You watch your mouth, and be quick about it! You have no right to call my sister a bitch, Whittenberg! RHONDA: Go to hell! DYLAN (sarcastically): I would, lady, but I don't want to be ANYWHERE around your ugly ass! RHONDA: Why you......! (Allegra Whittenberg and Anngelique Minzell stand in front of their friend, as Rhonda lurches over and tries to hit Dylan.) ANNGELIQUE: Not one more step toward him! ALLEGRA: You hurt him and I will destroy you. RHONDA: Ha! You're bluffing! ALLEGRA: You know damned well I don't bluff, Rhonda! And you had best get over yourself! You're just pissed off that I got your partnership and not you! RHONDA (angry): Whose fault was that?! ANNGELIQUE: YOURS! It was all your own fault, you stupid slut! RHONDA (in an indignant tone): I am NOT a slut! ALLEGRA: Oh, please! Ben told me everything! He told me all about the ceaseless cheating you pulled on him! You lying trollop! RHONDA (screaming): You spiteful hag! You've always hated me! ALLEGRA: That's right, you evil bitch! I've hated you for YEARS! I never did like you! All I did was tolerate you for Ben's sake! All you did was drag down my brother. And you don't care who gets hurt, so long as you get what you want! RHONDA: I am entitled to whatever I want! I AM A HOLLISTER! (Dylan has had enough) DYLAN (coldly): I don't give a damn what you are! I could care less if you were the Queen of England, and believe me, you're no queen! You are just a royal pain in the ass! You are nothing compared to us! Better people than you have tried to usurp our position, and they have failed. If that was the case, then we have no trouble taking a stupid little puissant like you to task! You're less than nothing to us, Whittenberg! SHEILA: That's right, Rhonda Whittenberg! And you ought to know better! If you dare to mess with one Harper, you mess with the WHOLE family! Our family stands together! ALL OF US! And you cannot even TRY to sunder that! You made a complete fool of yourself and you are ruining my cousin's party! RHONDA (still slurring her words): Good! I hope it makes the papers that this is a fiasco! It will be a notch in my belt for victories! WENDY: Don't be so stupid, lady! The only thing that is making it a fiasco, is YOU! You are completely plastered and are making a spectacle of yourself! RHONDA: I do not care, you loser! I am better than the whole lot of you! 1000% better than you are. DYLAN (again sarcastically): Please, bitch! You're not so big, and you're nothing compared to the Harpers! JAMIE (defending his friend): You've tried to destroy my family far too many times, I will be damned if you try that shit against the Harpers! A family with MORE connections than you ever could DREAM of! RHONDA: Ha! You think I care?! I will NOT be stopped by a puissant little asshole like YOU! (Rhonda slaps Jamie in the face and then shoves him to the ground!) AJ (angrily): Get away from my boyfriend, you bitch! RHONDA (tauntingly): And what the hell are YOU going to do about it, if I don't? What are you gonna do, you bastard?! Are you gonna hit me?! (Enter Anngelique, who is beyond pissed!) ANNGELIQUE: No, you stupid whore! AJ won't have to, he's got Jamie to look after, but I know someone who will hit you! And that someone is ME! (With that, Anngelique slaps her hard in the face!) ALLEGRA: I have been waiting to do this ever since you married my brother, you wicked whore! And believe me, it will feel SO good! (Allegra also slaps her former sister in-law across the face!) RHONDA: You stupid bitches! ALLEGRA (mockingly): Oh, look at that, Anngie! Look at the so-called "classy" Rhonda Hollister! Calling us bitches! Oh, the horror! ANNGELIQUE (just as mockingly): Oh my GOD! Are my ears burning?! Way to keep it classy, you whore! (The entire party laughs at a furious Rhonda) RHONDA: HOW DARE YOU ALL LAUGH AT ME?! DYLAN: Because you are the one making a fool of yourself! Give 'em enough rope and they will hang themselves, and believe me, you are truly hanging yourself! RHONDA: I won't be made a fool! BARRY: You already have. The press will have a field day with you looking like an idiot! RHONDA: I will NOT stand for this! DYLAN: Well then, you bitch, get out of here! You were NOT invited, you are nothing but a party crasher, and I demand you leave! RHONDA: Oh, REALLY?! And what if I don't leave, you bastard?! DYLAN: Then I will have no alternative but to call the police and you will be taken to jail for trespassing! RHONDA: All right, I'll leave, but you can all go to hell! DYLAN: As I said before, you stupid bitch, I would, but I would not want to be anywhere around your ugly ass! ALLEGRA: We'll get her out of here, Dyl. She's already done enough damage to this party! We'll not allow her to do more. DYLAN (relieved): Thanks, Allegra. ANNGELIQUE: Don't you worry about things, Dyl. We've got it under control. So you all have a good time. ANYSSA: The ball is almost ready to drop, guys! DYLAN: Hang on, Nyssa. ALLEGRA: We'll throw her out the door. DYLAN (opening the door): Go for it, Allegra. (Allegra shoves Rhonda out the door. She screams) ADAM: I'll lock the door, so she cannot get in! (The rest of the crowd goes into the room. The ball is about to drop! Everyone is counting down! All of a sudden it's midnight! The entire room explodes in shrieking and merriment!) ALL: HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!! (Allen kisses Sheila; Dylan kisses Adam; AJ kisses Jamie; everyone is celebrating.) ANYSSA (to Dylan): Susie and Ellen tell you Happy new Year. They are hoping you are doing better. DYLAN: Thanks, Nyssa. Tell them Happy New Year back from me. (Dylan gives his cousin a hug.) Cut to Outside Dylan's house. Rhonda is infuriated. Hours later, the party has been finished, but there were some people still around inside, talking. Anngelique and Allegra are on their way out. Rhonda jumps them both, engaging them in a catfight! ANNGELIQUE: Just like you to attack from behind! RHONDA: Shut up! I have the upper hand now! ALLEGRA: No you don't! RHONDA: What do you mean?! ALLEGRA: I knew you would pull something like this! That is your MO, jump them from behind! (She grabs her cell phone, and calls the police.) RHONDA: You damned bitch! Calling the police on me! ANNGELIQUE: You asked for it! ALLEGRA: And now you're going to get it! The cops arrive and arrest a screaming and threatening Rhonda. Another officer talks to Dylan and he explains that Rhonda was not invited and she had crashed the party. She is hauled off to the police station. As everyone is headed back to their homes, the scene fades. Category:Episodes Category:Catfight episodes Category:Episodes featuring Anngelique Minzell Category:Episodes featuring Dylan and Sheila